Mark Ryan (guitarist)

Mark Ryan (guitarist)
Mark Ryan
Born 2 March 1959(1959-03-02)
Tottenham, London, England, UK
Died 31 January 2011(2011-01-31) (aged 51)
Cardiff, Wales, UK
Nationality British
Other names Mark Gaumont
The Kid
Occupation musician, playwright
Known for British guitarist (Adam and The Ants); playwright

Mark Ryan (2 March 1959[1] – 31 January 2011[2])[3] was an English guitarist who played in different punk bands during the late 1970s.

He was born in Tottenham, London,[1][4] to an Irish Catholic family. His father was a university lecturer and his mother was a nurse and midwife. Ryan left school at sixteen, working in factories and dedicating to music.[3]

In 1977, after being in a number of experimental punk bands, he joined Adam and the Ants, replacing Lester Square (who was later to form The Monochrome Set), to complete the line-up who debuted live at the ICA restaurant in May, recording Plastic Surgery and a number of demos[5] with the band. After appearing with the band in the Derek Jarman movie Jubilee (1977 film) (released July 5, 1977) Ryan was fired in October 1977. [6] Subsequently, he joined The Photons, and was involved with The Moors Murderers. The vocalist in both bands was Steve Strange, who later became the singer for Visage. He also was in King, alongside The Damned's Captain Sensible.[7][8]

From 1985-89, Ryan attended the experimental Dartington College of Arts, earning a Bachelors degree in music in 1989. He turned his interest in performance to the theatre and began a successful career as a writer for the stage based in Cardiff, Wales. He is the author of The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde As Told To Carl Jung By An Inmate Of Broadmoor Asylum, first produced in 1998.

Death

Ryan lived in Heath, Cardiff, Wales for many years until his death there on 31 January 2011, aged 51.[4] Ryan had suffered from ill-health, and succumbed to complications caused by liver damage.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b NME - Biography: Adam & The Ants
  2. ^ The Dead Rock Stars Club obit
  3. ^ a b "Mark Ryan: Guitarist with Adam and the Ants who became a successful playwright"
  4. ^ a b "Adam and the Ants guitarist's funeral held in Cardiff"
  5. ^ profile at Allmusic.com
  6. ^ Allmusic.com profile
  7. ^ "Mark 'The Kid' Ryan, RIP"
  8. ^ TheSpecials2.com, Community Pages
  9. ^ [1]

External links

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